The Cross River Command of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has repatriated 2,039 illegal immigrants to their countries of origin in 2015, an official said in Calabar on Thursday.
The State Comptroller of NIS, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi, made the fact known and said the immigrants found their way to Nigeria through Calabar seaport after they had been deported from some African countries.
She said that the victims were deported after they were found with illegal travelling documents, while others were involved in criminal activities.
The comptroller said that NIS in Cross River had left no stone unturned in ensuring that illegal immigrants were escorted safely back to their countries of origin.
“In the period under review, we repatriated 558 deportees in June, 443 in August, 163 in September, 178 in October and 697 in December.
“These deportees are nationals of Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Togo, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Cote D’ Ivoire, Gambia and Gabon.
“Out of this number, 1,601 were repatriated through the Seme border in Lagos, while 438 were repatriated through the Jibia border in Kastina State.
“These illegal migrants found their way to Calabar because the Calabar seaport was the closest border to some African countries,’’ she said.
She said that the Federal Government was concerned about some African countries dumping deportees on Nigerian borders through the sea.
“The Federal Government through the Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, has placed a ban stopping all African countries from dumping their deportees in Nigeria.
“Henceforth, no African countries will be permitted to dump any deportees in Nigerian soil again.
“The policy of the Federal Government is that the last one we had in December should be the last. We will not accept any deportees in our waterways again.
“Any vessel that tries to bring in any deportees into Nigerian soil will not be given permission to berth and such vessel will be sanctioned,’’ Adeuyi warned.
She lauded the effort of the Comptroller General of NIS, Mr Martin Abeshi, in equipping personnel to fight human trafficking, child labour and illegal migration.
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